AFL pre-season news: Keep up to date with all the latest updates

Michael Voss’ imprint is becoming more evident and the Blues are keen to ensure one of their rising stars is part of his revolution — but it might need a change to ensure it happens.

The Demons have close to a full compliment of players on the track. Picture: Getty Images

Carlton will look to secure a new deal for versatile talent Liam Stocker in the coming months after recently locking in young gun Sam Walsh until the end of 2026.

Much of the Blues’ list focus since the end of last season was understandably on reaching a long-term deal with Walsh, who looms as a future club captain.

But rewarding 22-year-old Stocker for a breakout season – a year in which he was awarded the club’s Best Young Player – will now come into sharper focus for the Blues.

Stocker praised now retired Blue Marc Murphy for assisting him last year, when he played 17 games, adding to his five back in 2019.

He took on some big jobs last season, but is eager to try and find more time through the midfield this year.

One-time No.3 draft pick Paddy Dow is another who comes out of contract at the end of this season. But the Blues could make Dow wait for a period of time to see how his 2022 season pans out.

Dow, 22, also played 17 games for the Blues last season, taking his career tally to 59.

Carlton’s recent list management has been aided by a number of its stars including Walsh, Patrick Cripps and Jacob Weitering accepting well under market value to stay with the club, freeing up money to get other contracts locked away.

Key position forwards Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow will come out of contract at the end of 2023.

Carlton is keen to lock away Liam Stocker to a new deal. Picture: Michael Klein

SCOTT’S PRELIM REGRET AFTER BUG RIPPED THROUGH CATS

Geelong coach Chris Scott concedes he should have asked medical staff about postponing the club’s disastrous preliminary final loss to Melbourne last year after illness decimated the Cats playing list.

Scott said up to eight players were struck down in the lead up to their 83-point loss to Melbourne in Perth.

He said there was no guarantee that the playing group had not been beset by Covid-19 issues, despite the group being isolated in a Perth bubble.

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Chris Scott believes he should have asked medical staff to postpone the preliminary final. Picture: Getty Images

“The thing that has shocked me, on reflection, is how, at some point, given the whole environment where we were in, in a hub in Perth … I reckon it was about 1 o’clock game day, the game was 6 o’clock Perth or thereabouts, when I got the call that Lachie Henderson and Jeremy Cameron were crook as well, and that made it six, seven, eight players down, why it didn’t really occur to me that the game really shouldn’t go on, because we couldn’t know for sure,” Scott told the AFL website.

“I just trust the doctors implicitly with these things, but even in hindsight it has occurred to me why I didn’t ask the question - how could I guarantee they weren’t Covid issues?

“And fortunately they weren’t. I didn’t consider it until after the fact, and that is the part that surprises me, I must have had a lot on my mind because after the fact it would have been the logical question.

“I know now the conversations were being had behind closed doors. I think the question came from the AFL first. The last thing I want to say on this is this isn’t us making excuses. The stronger point for me is it downplays the performance of the opposition and once you look back on it, it was a pretty dominant finals series.”

Scott doubts that Geelong was capable of winning the 2021 premiership even if they had of had a fully fit playing group in Perth.

“What I will say is even if we didn’t have any guys under the weather, I just don’t think we were firing as much as you need to, to win a flag, from Jeremy Cameron having three hamstrings to Paddy (Dangerfield) still not being at his best. Brandon Parfitt was a close contact going into the previous week and couldn’t get out of his room and strangely enough did a hamstring in the first quarter,” he said.

“We just didn’t have enough going our way.”

Demons’ clean bill of health for flag defence

— Jay Clark

Reigning premier Melbourne is in prime physical condition as it prepares to ramp up preparations for its back-to-back flag tilt.

Remarkably, the team which hammered Western Bulldogs in last year‘s Grand Final, have not required a single post-season surgery after lifting the cup for the first time in 57 years.

It means Simon Goodwin’s men will enter the match practice phase this month with one of the cleanest injury bills in the competition despite the short break.

Rival clubs have noted how well-placed the Demons are early in 2022 as they get set to take on the Kangaroos on February 24 at Casey Fields in their first serious hit-out of the preseason.

The Demons are fit and raring to go for 2022. Picture: Michael Klein

Star tall Luke Jackson and gun half back Trent Rivers had their tonsils removed but the non-football related procedures have not hampered the pair’s training.

Dashing half back Jayden Hunt also had an ankle clean-up but that took place in August last year as the Demons continued their charge to a drought-breaking premiership.

Their first game of the regular season is the blockbuster season-opener against Grand Final rival Western Bulldogs on Wednesday, March 16 at the MCG.

Only wingman Alex Neal-Bullen (knock to the knee), swingman Tom McDonald (rolled ankle) and defender Harry Petty (corked calf) have been on light duties away from the main training group this week.

The trio have had minor issues and are expected to make their returns to full training in the next week or two.

The healthy status is a major boost for a club which lost respected fitness chief Darren Burgess to Adelaide last year and had a delayed start to preseason training, but could yet start the season in five weeks at full strength.

Jayden Hunt has recovered from an ankle clean-up last year. Picture: Getty Images

It is a bonus considering the contested nature of the Demons’ game style leaves the team at heightened risk of collision injuries.

But superstar onballers Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca were able to hit the ground running this preseason and want to make the most of their on-field opportunities as two of the AFL’s most dominant and powerful ball winners.

It is common for teams who run deep into September to have numerous players go under the knife for operations, delaying their start to pre-season training.

But the Demons have dodged the surgery bullet in the wake of last year’s flag and remain hungry to stay at the top with a supremely talented list in 2022.

Track watchers have been impressed with the early showings over summer from the Demons who had one of their heaviest training phases last week before a four-day break over the weekend.

The Demons have close to a full compliment of players on the track. Picture: Getty Images

Among those to shine include young hard nut Tom Sparrow, veteran onballer Jack Viney and Petty before he coped the knock to the calf.

Adam Tomlinson is also on the way back from a knee reconstruction, while James Jordon and Jake Bowey have their eyes on regular spots, intensifying the competition for selection.

The Demons could increase their match simulation sessions to four 20-25 minute blocks next week in preparation for the game against the Kangaroos.

STRINGER BACK IN BUSINESS

Essendon expect star goal kicker Jake Stringer to be back in full training next week after missing the club’s match practice on Thursday.

The explosive ballwinner was on light duties because of a groin problem which has flared after a big preseason.

But the Bombers said they were taking a cautious approach with the midfield-forward and planned on him re-joining the main group next week.

Stringer is one of the club’s most important players and provides a flexible target in the forward line which will be without retired swing man Cale Hooker and most likely Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (personal reasons) in the early part of the season.

Jake Stringer has been on light duties. Picture: Mark Stewart

Hard running key forward Harry Jones, who was a revelation last year, has also endured a modified summer on the back of a serious foot and ankle injury, while young tall Zach Reid is also trying to make up ground after a run of back, foot and Covid-19 setbacks.

Rising forward Kyle Langford was another who sat out the match simulation in his recovery from a shoulder issue as athletic ruckman Sam Draper shone in a solid hit-out at Tullamarine.

Draper has emerged as one of the most exciting tall prospects in the competition after knocking back a lucrative offer from St Kilda to lead the red and black ruck division.

Tex Wanganeen, the son of former Essendon and Port Adelaide great Gavin, also impressed in attack and is vying for a supplemental selection period berth alongside Subiaco forward Nick Martin.

Wanganeen is still a developing prospect but could add a touch of class following the departure of small forward Irving Mosquoto last year.

Tex Wanganeen (left) in 2021.

Defender Jake Kelly continued to fit in seamlessly and looms as an excellent addition to the back half as one of the best mid-sized shut-down defenders in the game.

Kelly, who crossed from Adelaide on a three-year deal, will help the Bombers contain the type of dynamic small forwards which have troubled the club in recent seasons.

The Bombers’ A-Grade midfielders also all fired on Thursday as Ben Rutten attempts to move Dylan Shiel into more of a forward role and potentially find room for first-round draft pick Ben Hobbs in the engine room.

Hobbs’ uncompromising attack on the ball has won plenty of admirers at Essendon, helping further bolster one of the most talented midfield combinations in the league.

The Bombers take on Western Bulldogs in a practice match on Wednesday, February 23 at Tullamarine.